Ah, Deception, How Rewarding
by THe Amazing Sponge
Summary: Deception is everywhere. Everyone is stuck in their own worlds made up of lies by themselves or by another. Can one journey cause 12 to awaken from their blissful slumber into a harsh reality? Rating for Violence and Language
1. Chapter 1 Goodbye

Ah, Deception, How Rewarding.  
  
A/N:READ MY REVIEW IF YOU HAVE READ THIS STORY ON OR BEFORE DEC.9(10) 2003  
  
Hey lookie here, a SCII story! This game is kickass, and of course I am only talking about the GCN version. NINTENDO RULES! WHOOP WHOOP!  
  
Oh yeah, this story is a slight AU. Heheheh. . . "slight". . .   
  
KK, now I will not describe what the characters are wearing unless it is an OC, but I doubt I shall need those.   
  
Name: outfit/weapon  
  
Talim: Pink white and blue outfit/Double Crescent Blade   
  
Yunsung: Red haired version/White Storm  
  
Cassandra: Blue version/Red Crystal Rod  
  
Link: Green (why change a good thing?)/Master Sword  
  
Sophitia: Pink version/Synval  
  
Raphael: Blue coated version/Schweizer  
  
Ivy: George Washington Style (The one where she does NOT look like a concubine)/Alraune  
  
Xianghua: Blue Style/Krita Yuga  
  
Maxi: Blond Version/Chained Kozuka  
  
Taki: Armoured Style/Silent Edge   
  
Nightmare: Shirtless(=3)/Soul Edge  
  
Others: Whatever comes to mind (But no weird animal suits or whatnot! Just what they actually are seen in!)  
  
ON WITH THE STUFF!  
  
"talking"  
  
"~device speaking~"  
  
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Chapter One, Goodbye  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
Goodbye. A strange word, no? It could mean 'so long' in a sorrowful sense, like when you are sayin last words to a dear departed. Or it could mean 'see you' in a slightly happy sense, like when you are seeing your friend off somewhere, rejoicing in the fact that you will play another day.  
  
In this case, it was unknown what sense 'goodbye' was used in. I was leaving on a journey to end the Terror. The Terror that had claimed the lives of many, including the many people of our village. It had swept across the winds we had for so long worshipped and taken many of our family and friends. And now my father had fallen ill, and without him, our village would become dilapidated. That is why I am leaving. To save my father and my village. To destroy the foresaken swqord that had caused us many a misery. To forever abolish the Soul Edge.   
  
"Goodbye," repeated my father, "Take great caution Talim." He waved me off and then went back to rest. He was very weak, and could not hold himself up. I got up from my kneeling position and walked out of his chambers, nodding to the guards at the door. I was then greeted by the rest of the village, the elders telling me to stay back and the young ones telling me to go for it. I listened to neither of the group and kept my mind on my goal. I was going to defeat the vile blade no matter what anyone else said. I had to. I walked out of the gates and these guards began to close them, but then a little girl ran between them, accompanied by two boys and a woman. The girl stepped to me and handed me a parcel. It was a finely crafted doll.  
  
"Mama made this. I asked her to. I said you needed to have a piece of home. And you need a piece of luck. So she made you a doll of your papa, she said that he would keep your thoughts good and give you stremgth. She said to tell you to take care."  
  
I kneeled down and patted the girl on the head. "Thank you very much. This doll is very beautiful and bears great resemblance to my father. Tell your mother I said thank you alright Sati?"  
  
Sati nodded and ran back to her family. The gates closed. I turned and studied the doll. I grasped it firmly and placed it to my chest.  
  
"For you father, and for everyone, I will succeed."  
  
And with that I began my journey.  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
I glared back at my now ex-fiancee. I wanted to help our people and rid our country of the Terror, but she was against it and she made her feelings known with everything she could. "NO!" she had said. "Become a farmer and let us live peacefully!" she demanded. "IF YOU GO, WE ARE FINISHED! THE WEDDING WILL BE OFF!" she finally shrieked. Well you know what? By that time, I was fed up. I mean, if we had one fight like that and I felt like I was in h*ll, then marriage would be h*ll every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year as long as we were living (in this country, you could not divorce)! So I left. I went on my journey. Women, ha! Who needs 'em? They just cook and clean while you pay for their every need and desire. Besides, I am 18! I have a looooooooooong life to live and will NOT spend the majority of it tied down!  
  
"Goodbye Mina," I replied with no emotion. Under my breath and muttered "b*tch" and continued out the door.   
  
"Yunsung! One more thing! DO NOT COME BACK UNLESS YOU WISH TO DIE!"   
  
I froze in shock. How could she do that? And why, because I disobeyed her? I no longer had any time to think for the Lizardman Guards were lumbering toward me, ready to chop me in two. I ran to the city wall, a tall border seperating our city from the rest of the world. I hesitated a bit, and then spied a Lizardman guarding the gates with his back turned. I ran and bounded off of him over the wall, successfully evading Mina's vile minions. I ran and heard a voice behind me.  
  
"Yo, Sung man, where ya goin'?"   
  
I turned my head over my shoulder and gave a small salute. "To obtain the Soul Edge! Goodbye my friend!"  
  
With that I continued running, not once looking back again.  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
I looked at my bedridden sister with sorrowful eyes. She had fallen ill with an unknown sickness at the same time the Terror appeared. Raphael (her fiance) and I had worried to our extent, and now we were to do something about it. We wanted to end the Terror, and through further studies, found that we needed to destroy the Soul Edge. We were leaving tonight and at this moment we knelt by her bedside.   
  
"Cassandra, my sister, take care," she whispered. She gave me a feeble smile and I nodded. I then stood and walked outside, where I was met with a great surprise.  
  
Link.  
  
We stood, our eyes never leaving the other. For a long time nothing moved, and the stillness was broken by him kissing my hand, placing something inside it and then running off. I was stunned. When I recovered, I was about to study the object when the door creaked open. I stuffed it in one of my pouches and spun around to greet my sister's fiance, dismayed that I had not gotten to say goodbye to my own love.  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
My love cautioned her sister, who then turned and left the cabin. I was alone with my fiancee once again. I stood over her and leaned down, kissing her hand. "Sophitia, my dear, I-" I was interrupted by her finger upon my lips.  
  
"No Raphael, you need not to apologize. I will be fine, and I have faith in you and my sister to succeed. Y-"   
  
Now I interrupted her, this time placing a kiss upon her lips.   
  
"Y-you musn't dawdle now. . . " she faintly breathed, mesmerized. I bowed and straightened.   
  
"Goodbye my love, and wait for me, for I shall return." With that, I walked out of the cabin and was greeted by Cassandra.   
  
"Are you ready to go Raphael?" she asked.  
  
I thought back to my Sophitia, laying in bed, tired and sick. "More ready than I will ever be."  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
I knelt down beside my father's corpse, not weeping, but mourning. My father, with whom I had grown up, trained, fought and adventured with, was dead. Killed by the soul-sucking sword Soul Edge weilded by the mutant menace Nightmare. We were hiking and spotted an old abandoned chapel in which we decided to rest. Suddenly, the floor began to quake and we were standing on a barren wasteland, with molten lava spurting out of cracks in the coarse ground. Nightmare had then appeared and my father's eyes immediately narrowed. "Stay away and out of this Ivy," he had said. I backed up and watched in terror the fight and the death of my father. Nightmare had impaled him and then threw him on the ground. "Cervantes," Nightmare had growled, "Your much awaited end has come here. Now, GIVE ME YOUR SOUL!" The Soul Edge's eye had opened and radiated much dark energy. My father paled and plaed until, alas, he was no more. And then Nightmare and the battlefield disappeared, leaving us in the chapel once again.   
  
I held my late father's hand, recoiling inside at its lack of warmth. It was freezing, more than a normal dead body's and believe me, I have seen and felt many dead bodies.   
  
Just then, the ground began to rumble and I saw a sillohuete of Nightmare appear behind a window.   
  
"You had better run onna, or else you shall join Cervantes!" he roared. I knew at my present state that I was no match for him, so I said to my fathert's body, "I promise you, I will avenge your death and end the Terror!" and ran. I ran as fast as I could, deep into the surrounding woods, thinking that I would never see my father again. "Goodbye. . .goobye father. . . goodbye. . . "  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
I knelt before my widowed queen, Xianghua. I was at the country border and she had asked to have a word with me before I left. I was leaving to end the Terror, defeat my rival and for something else. . . to see my beloved once again. . . Taki. I was venturing to her cabin first, before doing anything else. We had not had much contact these past few years and after some persuasion, the Queen allowed me to venture out and, well this was only what she knew, destroy the Terror. She had made me promise to return right after I had completed my task and I would. I was itching to leave and see Taki, but Xianghua was lecturing me. Now, I had finally grown weary of her ramblings and said goodbye.  
  
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"Goodbye."  
  
I stopped talking. Maxi had said goodbye. I knew he would, but I wanted to avoid the inevitable. I sighed and knew that he, my one true love, was leaving. I had married the King, Hwang, but he had been killed. His daughter was left in charge of one city and I of the country. I did not love Hwang, I merely wished for his status and power. So a few months of withstanding his idle chitchat, I killed him. Swift and undetectable. I was to be out of the city on that day, so I was unsuspected. But then I met Maxi, Hwang's top knight. And I fell in love. And, though I did not want him to leave, his perpetual insisting caused me to snap. I let him go, but before doing so, I lectured him about taking care and not straying of to women and other things.  
  
"Goodbye, Queen Xianghua," he said again.  
  
I sighed again heavily, defeated. "Goodbye Maxi. Goodbye."  
  
And then he was gone.   
  
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A/N:I hope you liked it and please R&R!  
  
I got Sati from The Matrix: Revoloutions. I just named her that becaused she reminded me of her. I do not own neither movie nor game.  
  
Whew, my hands are tired of typing. I made like, 300 typos already LPL!  
  
Lol. . . yea. . .   
  
Thankies to those who reviewed recently!  
  
Ciao 4 Now!  
  
THe Amazing Sponge 


	2. Chapter 2 A 'Burning' Hatred

A/N:Thankies to those who have reviewed. Now I am in a REALLY good writing mood so I will not waste it. ON WITH THE STUFF!  
  
Disclaimer: If I were to own Soul Calibur do you think that I would be sitting here?  
  
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Chapter 2 A 'Burning' Hatred   
  
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I had been walking through this foresaken forest for HOURS! I wanted to rest so badly, but I knew I could not stop, especially since my tent had just underwent a brutal mauling by some forest animals. I disposed of them and was for to leave my tent- no wait, shreds of cloth- behind. Due to my fatiuge, I began stumbling and leaning on trees for support. My luck went down even farthur when I came across a guy with spiky red hair and a shiny, sharp sword. I wielded my Crescent Blades and prepared for battle.   
  
But then everything was replaced by darkness.  
  
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Damn forest. . . Damn animals. . . Damn Mina. . . Damn Hwang. . . Damn Terror. . . Damn Soul Edge. . .   
  
I cursed my way through the filth and monster infested forest. I needed to get to the Shizuka na Kawa- the Quiet River by tomorrow if I wanted to get a boat in time.  
  
Turning a clearing, I came across a girl wearing a blue pink and white hat and weilding elbow blades. I blinked as she saw me a proceeded to get a firmer grip on her weapons as if for battle.  
  
And then she passed out.  
  
I walked over to her and felt her pulse. I let out a long sigh of relief. She was still alive, she had just fainted. I picked her up piggyback-style and began my search for shelter.  
  
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Taki looked at Maxi who looked back at her. She wore only her spandex, having stripped her armour after hunting. "So Maxi, how have you been?"  
  
"Well. . . my king died. . . and I've missed you." He leaned over to kiss her but she leaned back.  
  
":I see you are in need Maxi,:" she thought, ":so it will be fun to tease you for a bit.:" Taki then walked around her small dining table toward him and sat on his lap. "Oh, your king died?" she asked, playing with his hair. "What ever could have killed him?"  
  
Maxi licked his lips. "Food poisoning. I have a vial of the poison. They say it burns the eater from the inside while they are alive. Someone had snuck it in him during the night.  
  
"Really?" Taki ran her thumb along his earlobe. "And who did it?"  
  
"I-I don't know."  
  
Taki stood and let her fingers linger upon Maxi's bare chest. She put one finger on her lip. "Ah, an unsolved mystery. So elusive, so invigorating, so. . . seductive."  
  
Maxi lost himself. He grabbed her and steered her to the wall, attacking her with his tounge. He let his hands roam her body and he ran them along her hips.   
  
Taki smiled to herself and pushed off the wall and closer to him. She caressed his cheek with gentle fingers as he moved her back to the wall and pressed closer to her. She was on the verge of giving into the temptation to bring him to bed when there was a knock on the door. And then a male voice calling.  
  
Taki pushed Maxi away and answered the knock.  
  
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Yunsung stumbled upon a clearing which was disturbed by a mid-sized cabin. With the strange girl on his back, he then walked up to the door and knocked. After waiting for a few moments, he knocked again. "Hello-o-o-o-o-o?"  
  
The door swung open and what he saw made him pale.  
  
"T-t-taki?!"  
  
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There were lights.  
  
They did not blind me, and they were dim enough to count.  
  
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...  
  
There were 12 lights.  
  
They were many different colours, but two of them seemed the brightest. An aqua coloured one and a red coloured one.  
  
I walked toward the two lights, and as the red grew bright almost immediately, the aqua one only brightened slowly, and it was still dim. Then the aqua suddenly shined with all its might, making it look as though it would explode. The red began to dim, more and more, until it almost retreated into darkness. The aqua too, began to darken. The red suddenly burst into animation again, and the aqua followed. And then all the lights burst into a huge, blinding white. But something was wrong.  
  
One of the lights went out.  
  
And then I started falling.  
  
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"T-t-taki?!" I exclaimed. I looked in wide-eyed bewilderment as I studied the ninja. She was wearing only a black spandex and her crimson lipstick was smudged. She looked at me in a type of glee but her smile quickly faded when she saw the girl on my back. With a muttered "Come in please," she stepped aside and I walked in to find another shock. A man with no shirt and long blond hair was glaring at me. I stuck my tounge at him and then proceeded to Taki's guest room. There I laid the girl on the bed and after closing the door, I took a seat near the bed as well. I studied the girl and I brushed a stray hair off of her face. As soon as my fingers brushed against her cheek, she began to stir. I then gasped and slid my chair all the way to the other side of the room and pretended to be asleep.  
  
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I glared at the closed door of the guest room. Damn that kid! I need to get rid of him so Taki will focus on me once again! But how. . . I then almost yelled "EUREKA!" but decided against it. Fiddling around in my pockets, I found the small vial I was looking for. It only contained a few drops of the poison, but it would do. I had no need to kill the girl he brang in, in fact, she could be of much use to me. I grinned and saw that Taki had left three steaming bowls of soup on the table unattened when she went to the washroom. I poured all of my poison in one bowl and then placed it on the seat beside me. I then neatly folded a napkin in front of the seat across me and as Taki came out, I pulled out her chair and after she sat, I pushed her chair in. I then went to call my victim- er, no, Taki's guest.   
  
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I felt myself in a soft, soft place. A field maybe? Or. . . a bed? I opened my eyes and sat up, taking in my surroundings. A wall with a window, a wall covered entirely by books, a dresser, and a man pretending to sleep in a chair beside the door. I smriked.  
  
"Excuse me but I know you are awake," I said. The man slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.   
  
"Wha-?"  
  
"I am sorry but that is not going to work." I gave him a small smile and extended my hand. "My name is Talim, what is yours?"  
  
He hesitated before shaking my hand and repling. "I'm Yunsung. And now I need an answer from you- why were you wandering these woods while you are alone and -no offense- weak?"  
  
I frowned. "I highly doubt that I am alone and weak. The infernal beasts lurking in there ravged my supplies. . . and. . . " I paused, deep in thought. ". . . have you heard of the. . . Soul Edge?"  
  
"Have I heard of the So- of course I have heard of the Soul Edge! Anybody who wants to end the Terror knows about the Soul Edge!" I grinned broadly and stood up tall. "I plan to aquire the mighty blade and use it as my own!"  
  
"U-use it as your-"  
  
I was interrupted by a yell and a knock on the door.  
  
"Hello-o-o-o! Dinner is r-e-e-e-a-a-a-ady if you care to e-a-a-a-a-a-t!" called a voice. It stretched out some words to put emphasis on them. We then heard footsteps retreat and then Yunsung got up. "Well, c'mon let us eat! You must be starved by now!" he gave me a smile and then walked out of the room. At the door, he waited for me. I rose and accompanied him to the table and the situation that would be the cause of many events. . . and only a few of them would be good. . .   
  
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I smiled brightly when I saw Yunsung coming into the dining room but then immediately frowned when I saw the girl was with him. "I-I thought she was still sleeping. . . " I said in a dazed tone. The girl looked at me shocked and then smiled softly.   
  
"Oh, no, it is alright. I can see if I have something to eat now, you go ahead with your dinner."  
  
I looked at her nice demeanor, dumbfounded. I then shook my head. If I wanted Yun, I was just going to have to be nice and win him over again! I shook my head and was about to reply when Yunsung began to speak.   
  
"No problem Talim. You can share mine." He then walked into my kitchen and retrieved a wooden bowl, for I only had three china ones anyway. He poured half his soup into it.  
  
Then the wooden bowl began to smoke and was suddenly aflame. He dropped the bowl and it lit the carpet and began trailing around my cabin. "Oh sh*t!" I shrieked. "My frickin cabin! What the h*ll was in that frickin soup?!"  
  
"I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION!" roared Yunsung. The girl, Talim, immediately ran to the kitchen and began splashing water from my water barrel. Maxi just sat there, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.   
  
"Crap. . .Sh*t. . . F*ck. . . Dammit . . . " he muttered.   
  
We ran out of my cabin.   
  
My cabin burned down to the ground.  
  
The ground was littered with ashes and burnt pieces of furniture or singed pages of books.   
  
Yunsung glared at me. "Taki. . . if you hated me so much to put flaming poison in my soup. . . well. . . I just thought you were better than that."  
  
"What the f*ck do you mean, you think I put poison in YOUR soup?!"   
  
"Well, who else would have done it? TALIM?"  
  
"Maybe she did! I mean, Maxi couldn't have and you WOULDN'T have, so SHE is the last suspect!"  
  
"I WAS WITH HER THE ENTIRE TIME YOU DUMB F*CK!" he roared. Then he gave me a menacing glare. "It was ov-frickin-er 3 damn years ago Taki. Get. over. it." He then gave me the finger and stormed off, pulling that girl with him.  
  
"FINE!" I yelled after him. "YOU JUST GO WITH YOUR LITTLE WENCH AND SCREW AROUND SOMEPLACE ELSE!" I then stomped off into the opposite direction, right through the remainders of my home.  
  
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"I WAS WITH HER THE ENTIRE TIME YOU DUMB F*CK!" Yunsung roared. He then gave Taki the finger and stormed off, pulling me with him. I quickened my pace to keep up with him.   
  
"FINE! YOU JUST GO WITH YOUR LITTLE WENCH AND SCREW AROUND SOMEPLACE ELSE!" yelled the woman. I felt my cheeks burn at her ridiculous comment.   
  
After walking for a somewhat short period of time, Yunsung stopped. He had cooled down. e sat on a fallen tree and looked at me. "Sorry. I guess I got carried away. I did not mean to swear THAT much. . . " he gave a small laugh. "I do feel kind of guilty though. . . I mean, her house did burn down. . . "  
  
"Um. . . Yunsung. . . do you and Taki know eachother. . . before all this?"  
  
His eyes pierced mine with a slightly sorrowful look.   
  
"She was my. . . girlfriend. . . until she confessed to being a cheater. The b*tch."  
  
Slightly. Only slightly.   
  
I nodded knowingly. "If you had an affair in my tribe, you were sentenced to. . .er. . . well, let us just say that the result is not pretty."  
  
Yunsung laughed. "Anything like that would be too good for her." he said, spitting the word 'her' as though it was a vile liquid.  
  
I could tell that this woman's affair was only a part of a deeper hatred Yunsung held.   
  
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A/N: Yea, sorry I took so long to update and I hope you enjoyed this chappie. And if you had not noticed, this story is slightly AU. "Slightly. Only Slightly." LOL Anyways, I kept going bakc and forth to writing this and just lounging around when I finally finished.  
  
Just in case the next chappie comes out AFTER next week, Happy Holidays y'allz!  
  
Ciao 4 Now  
  
THe Amazing Sponge 


	3. Chapter 3 The Shizuka na Kawa P1

A/N:HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE it is! Another chappie of the story I looooooove to write, ADHR!   
  
Guess what? All my stories have four-worded titles. . . weird. . .   
  
Welpz, ON WITH THE STUFF!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not like to type things that put me down. T.T  
  
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Chapter 3 The Shizuka na Kawa P.1  
  
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After our earlier escapades, we found that neither of us had any food or means of shelter. We decided to try and hold out until we got out of the forest and onto the shore of the Shizuka na Kawa. Reaching its shore was no easy task in our current condition. We were tired and hungry. We thought that we could just wade across the Quiet River and sleep in a makeshift shelter out of the forest but nnoo! The river turned out to be at least ten feet deep, judging from the surprised look on Yunsung's face as he stepped in. He came to the surface, splashing, sputtering and wide awake.  
  
"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! Dammit! Stupid r-r-river! It is so damn COLD! SONAFAGUN!"  
  
"Never test the depth of a river with both feet," I said as I grabbed his arm and helped him back onto the shore.  
  
"Yea, you say that AFTER my mishap." he muttered.  
  
While he attempted to dry himself off, swearing at the river, I dipped my hands into the water. It was cold, as cold as-   
  
"-Death! The high winds froze the damned water as cold as a dead body! I mean, why the f*ck would a river of salvation be able to freeze living human beings into ici-frickin-cles!?"  
  
I stepped away from the water. I was now wide awake. "Yunsung, should we make a raft? Or should we just sleep here? I mean, it is late and we are in great need of rest."  
  
Yunsung pondered for a bit, looking over the length of the river. "I think we should make a raft. . . now. It is far enough to the other side that we can get a little shut eye. We can take shifts watching over the raft's course and sleeping, ya know?"  
  
I nodded and proceeded to ring a tree, my arms getting heavier by the second. Yunsung began ringing trees as well. It was going to be a long time before we were to be allowed entry into the wonderful and peaceful time called slumber.  
  
"DONE! FINISHED! READY TO GO!" yelled Yunsing. He tightened the last knot on the raft and smiled in triumph.   
  
I clapped and wiped my forehead. "Surprising that we had not met any of those infernal creatures, is it not? I would have suspected that they would come while we were working. . ."  
  
"Well they didn't and now we do not have to worry about them! Let's get on and go, alrighty then?" I nodded in reply and he stepped aside as I stepped onto the raft. He then stepped on as well and used a long pole to kick us off shore.   
  
"Yo-ho-ho and all that other stuff!" he declared. We laughed and soon, as the sun rose, I drifted to sleep.  
  
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I sat on the other side of the raft, pole in my hands, back to the water, studying the sleeping girl across from me. Her dark hair glistened in the light of the rising sun. She looked very young, only fifteen or sixteen years old. The bravest fifteen or sixteen year old I had ever met. I myself almost paled at the thought of going through the foresaken forest, but she seemed not to care, only keeping her eyes on her goal.  
  
Her goal. What was that again?  
  
She began to stir, and she groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Are we at the other side yet?" she asked.  
  
I shook my head. "We still have a bit to go. Tal, may I ask you what you plan to do about the Terror?"  
  
She froze and stared right at me. "I-I just. . . " she paused and seemed to be in deep thought. "I just want it ended, that is all."  
  
"I see." I nodded.   
  
We sat on the raft in silence, staring at the sky of dawn. She then turned to me. "Do you smell smoke?"  
  
I sniffed and there was smoke indeed. I thought of a person across the river with a house and lots of food. My daydreams of a good meal and rest vanished when I spied the smoke coming from the edges of the raft. The smoke seemed to wave at us like a ghostly hand, beckoning us to come forth. We were both silent, almost hypnotized, as the smoke began to surround our raft. I was brought to my senses by the slpash of colder-than-ice-cold water. As we were intranced by the smoke, our raft was slowly sinking! I glanced at Talim and she was still under the spell of the fingers dancing in the air, floating upon the waves. The cool water brushed upon her fingertips and her eyes opened wide. She looked at the water, then at me.   
  
"Yun, what is going on?"  
  
"I do not know Tal, I do not know. Right now, we need to find a way to save ourselves!" I wildly looked around for any means of getting of the raft and onto land, but we were in the middle of the river- the closet land was at least 2 miles away! We were suddenly emerged in the freezing water. "Talim!" I yelled. I could not hear her reply. I couldn't even see her anymore!  
  
Farthur down I fell, and this river was not as shallow as I thought- it was at least ten times deeper! For what felt like an eternity I sank lower and lower and then suddenly I was gasping for breath- and got it. I was on. . . dry land?  
  
"I see our newcomers have arrived." a voice said.  
  
I looked around to find a strange looking 'man;' he wore a purple jumpsuit endorned with various wooden and golden wraps. His face was sheilded by a hideous wooden mask and his eyes glowed red. "Who are you?!" I asked.  
  
The man smirked. He walked over to me and placed the tip of his huge sword underneath my chin, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. "I am lord Yoshimitsu and you and your friend here," he gestured to Talim who was bound, gagged and apparantly cursing at him, "are about to find out why this is called the Quiet River."  
  
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A/N:YAY! I finished this chappie! I WAS going to make it longer, but decided against it. This slight cliffie was great for the ending of this chapter. Review and you will be graced with another chappie!!! ((Tho I still need to write up on my other fanfics. . . ))  
  
Think of this as a present for the holidays- HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ciao 4 now and ja ne,  
  
THe Amazing Sponge 


	4. Chapter 4 The Shizuka na Kawa P2

A/N:Sorrie it took soooo long for this update. . . I lost my connection and then the spacebar stopped working properly and now the 'm' key is pissing me off!!!!!!! I hope you like this because I wrote it entirely out of inspiration. . . well. . . not really. . . ON WITH THE STUFF!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned anything of this high an importance, I would buy a fully functional keyboard!  
  
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Chapter 4 The Shizuka na Kawa P.2  
  
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Yoshimitsu smirked. He drew the tip of his blade higher up Yunsung's chin, drawing blood. He then stepped back and sheathed his sword. "Lizardman, tie him as well. This little boy is going to be taught a lesson about tresspassing," he ordered, in a creepy, high pitched voice. A figure stepped from the shadows and loomed over the doomed couple. A distinctive grunt was heard before the creature called Lizardman began to bind Yunsung.  
  
It was a very tall and grotesque looking thing. It had rough, scaly skin as dark as swamp water. Its sharp and disgusting fingers brushed against Yunsung's arm as it bound him, causing Yunsung to grimace. A final knot was tied, and then a gag stuffed into his mouth and winded at the nape of his neck. The creature stepped away and back into the shadows.   
  
"Comfortable, boy?" The forever-grinning Yoshimitsu asked. "It does not matter, for you will not be in that state for long. . . but where you are going, I doubt it will be comfortable." The man looked at Yunsung, making him feel like he was being mocked. He tried to talk, but the gag was very tight and muffled his voice entirely.   
  
"There are many. . . " Yoshimitsu walked to the far end of their dark residence. ". . . ways to kill a person." He began untying various ropes. "You can stab them, rip into their heart and destroy it. You can poison them, let their last meal be their undoing. You can hang them, instant death for those who deserve it less. But you can also torture them. . . " He chuckled as he whipped away a dark canvas, revealing a cache of torture items. ". . . until they lose their minds." He now cackled, loudly, as Talim began yelling, but all she said was lost through the material gagging her.   
  
"Talim. . . we will get out, do not worry. . . " Yunsung thought. Now if he could only think of a way to make his statement true.   
  
"Lizardman! Bring the girl here!" ordered Yoshimtsu. The scaly beast picked her up with one arm and dropped her at a long table beside the masked man. He laughed as he began wrapping her shins with a kind of leather. The ends had holes that, when they met, overlapped each other. He then looked over at Yunsung. "I call these the boots. But you see, once she stands they will fall apart! So I drive this peg," he held up a small wooden peg, "into these little holes so they will connect." Talim's eyes widened as she stared at her legs. He was going to drive the pegs nto the holes- and her shin! She looked at Yunsung, eyes frantic. She began kicking, trying to get the vile contraption off. Yoshimitsu drove the first peg in, right above her ankle. Talim cried out, her voice muffled by the gag.  
  
Tap tap tap went the hammer.  
  
In in in went the peg.   
  
Deeper and deeper into her skin. Blood trickled down to her toes.   
  
The pain was excrutiating. With every tap, it felt like a white hot prod seared her flesh and then salt was poured on the wound. Every. Single. Tap.   
  
Talim slammed her eyes shut. Her knuckles whitened as they gripped her seat, her nails scratching against its surface.  
  
Yunsung watched the scene, his anger rising. He tried to move closer, with no strategy what so ever. He stumbled to the ground, unable to get up. Yoshimitsu noticed this and, much to Yunsung's dismay, he decided to do something about it.  
  
The creepy, puppet-like man stopped his hammer in mid hit and dropped it as he stood to look down at Yunsung. "Trying to escape, eh?" he snickered, in that eerie voice of his. He kicked Yunsung in the stomach, causing Yunsung to curl into the fetal position. "Trying to help your girl?" Yoshimitsu kicked Yunsung in the head. "Well, you may try as hard as you can but you will never-" a blow to the shoulder- "get-" a whack to the knees- "out!" another kick to the stomach, this time with much greater force. Yunsung groaned through his gag, his eyes squeezing shut. "Lizardman, put this one in the cage- it is time for him to meet the Iron Maiden." Yoshimitsu chuckled evilly as Lizardman took hold of Yunsung and threw him into a wooden cage. Yunsung's gag flew off, untied by the chao wreaked upon its wearer. From the corner of the cage, something began to stir and a metallic click was heard as round lights glowed red.  
  
"Wh-what the hell?" Yunsung cried.  
  
"You see, this is a mere prototype of the real thing. The Iron Maiden will encase you in her arms... and pierce you with various sharp metals that will protrude from her breast. This may be much more painful, seeing as its mechansim is poor class and its spikes rusty. Well... enjoy." Yoshimitsu explained, rather boredly. The man then sat cross-legged and watched as the lights moved closer to Yunsung, revealing more of itself.  
  
A robot. A robot in the shape of a very curvy woman. If covered, it would look like a human to anybody- until t came really close. Yunsung stepped back, inching away from the contraption. He bumped into the wall of the cage. He turned to look at a still recovering Talim and turned back to find the arms of the iron maiden on either side. The body itself drew closer and closer... Yunsung's eyes widened. The closer it got, the more her chest opened and the more weapons he saw. Various sticks of metal, shaped any which way, all with an edge so sharp, it could pierce skin in a milisecond. All covered with rust.   
  
Yunsung cried out in pan as one spike began to make its way through his left arm. A sarp pain in his feet told him the Iron Maiden had weaponry elsewhere. The pain from his arm was excrutiating, not to mention the fear of the large spike coming toward his forehead.  
  
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A/N: Again, reeeeeally sorry this took so long. I may not have that much time to update nowadays, but I am working on the next chapter of Oblivious as you read this. Very tired though... Sorry this is not longer... Nyeh. =(   
  
Ja!  
  
THe Amazing Sponge 


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